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80cm Rank Arena Full HD LCD TV With Built-In HD Tuner for $699 @ Target

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80cm Rank Arena Full HD LCD TV With Built-In HD Tuner for $699 @ Target
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McMerc on 08/06/2009 - 02:06 lasoo.com.au (2726 clicks)
Last edited 08/06/2009 - 02:07

Rank Arena Full High Definition LCD TV With Built-In High Definition Tuner - $699

Hot price. 80cm. Full HD 1080p. Digital TV. Ready high definition. In-built digital tuner. 2x HDMI. HD tuner built-in. 1920 x 1080 full high definition resolution. Contrast ratio 2000:1. Blu-ray disc ready. Receive all digital free to view channels where available. TL3291. This offer not available at Target Country stores unless stated otherwise.

No rainchecks. Styles and colours will vary from store to store.

Starts 11/06/09

Electrical & Electronics LCD TV TV

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  • systmworks on 08/06/2009 - 08:10

    Thats 32 inches for those old school amoung us..

    Good price.. parents bought similar spec TV (albiet better brand, Samsung) for $1,100 about 2 weeks ago.

    Does anyone here use a 1080P LCD via DVI to HDMI as their primary computer monitor ?

    I currently have a 24" Dell 1920x1200 via DVI and it looks great.. but Ive never tried a high res PC signal (eg website text etc) over HDMI to see if its as sharp as DVI. Whenever I have used "video" outputs from a PC video card (composit, S-video, even component) the image (especially for text) has never been anywhere close to as sharp as DVI or even VGA. I want 1:1 pixel mapping from video card to LCD.

    • MetalPhreak on 08/06/2009 - 08:51
      +1

      HDMI is just DVI with audio so the quality will be the same. The HDMI plug simply has extra pins to carry digital audio which is why you can use adapters to go from DVI to HDMI and vice-versa with no problems.

    • cyssero on 09/06/2009 - 00:00

      I run my HTPC over 1080p/HDMI and the picture is fantastic. Even viewing web pages the text is crisp and legible. It's actually amazing the first time you try it after using a CRT.

      I have a Samsung 40" 1080p LCD and it does 1:1 pixel mapping so everything looks sweet. The only time you find any distortion with text is when image-enhancing modes are chosen, i.e. "Movie Plus" can bring out oddities around text and if sharpness is set too high it can also produce strange colours around text (I think it's the sub-pixel colours coming through that create the black, honestly I have no idea).

      So, will it look ok on a 32"? Should be fine. The 32" @ 1080p has a higher pixel density which should lead to better legibility compared to a 40". It's obviously nothing like your 24" Dell, and shouldn't be used for prolonged periods of time, but if you're just quickly checking IMDB or reading some brief snippet, it's more than enough.

      This calculator might help - http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html - your Dell has 94ppi, the 32" @ 1920x1080 would have about 65ppi.

  • Timski on 08/06/2009 - 09:10

    Rank Arena still make TV's?

    • [Deactivated] on 08/06/2009 - 09:27
      +3

      Yes and no. Its just a brand name - its made in an overseas factory. Some great marketing type decided - rightly so, that branding these TV's as Rank Arena sounds better than "Goodiebuy" or "Fuatso" - exactly how they can use the name I don't know.

      Some ways they could have done this is by acquiring the trademark which may have lapsed or they bought it from someone who had the rights to the name.

      In essence it will have a very limited association with what you knew as a Rank Arena product of the past. Likewise with the AWA name

      • Crooked on 09/06/2009 - 21:15
        +1

        Target brougt the rights for the Rank Arena name from Rank Group USA which was previously owned by Big W. It was bought in the hope it might get more customers to buy TV's from Target because it is a 'brand name' because their previous home brand 'Base' was not seen as successful.

  • lucyr on 08/06/2009 - 12:59

    How easily does this connect with foxtel? Does it only have the HDMI inputs or any analogue ones as well?

    • systmworks on 08/06/2009 - 14:24
      +2

      I had a look at one today. It looked like it had about 8 RCA connections on the rear (hard to see as they face down rather than out), so probably 1 or 2 analog video and audio connections, plus probably a component video input (3x RCA).

      It also had 2x HDMI inputs and 1x analog VGA input.

      • lucyr on 08/06/2009 - 15:49

        awesome, thanks

      • MetalPhreak on 08/06/2009 - 22:02
        +3

        Connections facing down = win

        Try wall mounting a TV and plugging in cables when they face the wall with a 2" gap :(

  • Koonit on 08/06/2009 - 14:29

    Can anyone comments on the quality of this unit?
    How's target for returns, if it turns out to be a dud?

    • Crooked on 09/06/2009 - 21:10
      +3

      Koonit,

      Target are backing this product pretty seriously setting up a hotline just for this television. If support (Australian) is unable to help they will quote you an RA number which you can then take into your local Target store with the Television with a full refund or replacement with receipt.
      They are pumping some serious units into stores - some stores getting up to 80 with about 14,000 nationally.
      This TV is seen as a trial TV for Target - if it does well there will be a Rank Arena 106cm FULL HD Plasma for $999 around September.

  • quappz on 08/06/2009 - 17:44
    +2

    "Blu-ray disc ready"

    bahah I hate some of the shit they advertise with.

    • cyssero on 09/06/2009 - 00:02

      It's for the noobs, and it's not entirely wrong either - it takes a proper 1080p signal (not like you could tell on a 32" anyway), so there's no downscaling involved.

  • fez on 08/06/2009 - 21:59
    +1

    Can anyone find any info on the model? Panel manufacturer, Refresh rate, viewing angle, warranty etc?

  • br0d on 09/06/2009 - 11:21

    Is TL3291 the model number? Putting that into google comes up with a bunch of 32" LCDs with resolution of 1366x768, not 1920x1080.

    eg. http://www.tianledigital.com/en_product_show.asp?id=146

    Pic looks the same as the one in the online Target catalogue but without the Rank Arena logo.

    Strange..

  • cperry on 09/06/2009 - 15:59

    Anyone know if this will definately show 1080i also? No-one boadcasts in 1080P here.

    • TeaEarlGreyHot on 09/06/2009 - 16:25

      Now please some-one correct me if I'm wrong, but if a tele' can display 1080 lines "Progressive"(=non-interlaced) then it must be able to display 1080 lines Interlaced also…

      Live Long and Prosper,
      Jean-Luc.
      \_/7

  • harthagan on 09/06/2009 - 17:18

    I'd be interested in connecting this to a computer… what kind of a cable would I need to do this and does this TV have the required port to make it possible? Any1 seen what the picture quality is like?

    • leoleon on 09/06/2009 - 17:26

      You can either connect it using a HDMI cable if you're graphics card has an output for it, or DVI adaptor or adaptor cable like the one MSY sells for about $13-18. some LCD TVs also have a VGA input, however I have been told that for best quality you should use HDMI or a DVI to HDMI adaptor

  • leoleon on 09/06/2009 - 17:22

    I tried calling RankArena Group Australia who are located in Sydney (02) 9756 0030 to ask about the specks. However he asked me where i was calling from, i told him Melbourne and he said that they don't sell any products in Melbourne and told me to call Sanyo????

    I can't seem to find a website for RankArena however their merchant seems to be located at 4 Enterprise Pl, WETHERILL PARK NSW, 2164.
    Maybe someone else might have better luck calling an enquire about the LCD TV.

    Has any one here used a LCD TV with similar resolution as a computer monitor??

    • pano on 11/06/2009 - 12:47

      i purchased one Rankarena 32" LCD from target this morning to replace my old wood grain Rankarena, i found it a great TV with all Digital inputs,
      my wife just loved it, thinking to grap another one for the back room before they run out.

  • harthagan on 11/06/2009 - 14:54

    Pano could you tell me if there are big black bars on the top and bottom. I went to the Target at Hurstvile today at lunchtime and they had 1 on display playing a bluray movie and there was massive black bars on the top and the bottom which made the picture look very small. I suspected they had it set up completely wrong and when I asked the moron working in the electronics department he said that it was completely standard… I asked him if he could show me how the TV channels looked and he said there was no TV reception in the shop. In general he was extremely unhelpful and it seemed like his job is to make sure they sell as few of these units as possible!

    • TeaEarlGreyHot on 11/06/2009 - 15:14

      I'd say the movie being displayed was of a wide-screen format with an aspect ratio of greater than 16:9, which is quite common…
      Even though the BlueRay/DVD may state it is in 16:9 (1.78:1) format, it will display the movie in "Letterbox" mode to preserve the original cinema release's "higher" aspect ratio (eg. 2.35:1).
      This effect is of course similar to displaying a "wide-screen" image on a conventional 4:3 TV screen. You either view it in letterbox format and get the black bars top and bottom, or in pan-scan format and lose the left and right most portions of the wide-screen image.
      \_/7

  • pano on 11/06/2009 - 15:41

    Picture is geat and perfect, horizontal or vertical black bars due to the disc format nothing to do with TV.
    my friend bought one too and was very impressed with HD picture quality.

  • harthagan on 11/06/2009 - 15:51

    So for watching normal TV does it use the entire screen or is there the black bars at top and bottom? The 1 set up at hurstville literally 1 third of the screen was going to waste and the picture looked very small - like what you would expect from a 24" LCD monitor!

    • br0d on 11/06/2009 - 17:08

      Black bars aren't important - if anything you should be thankful they're there because it preserves the original image as opposed to distorting it. If you want to watch movies without black bars you'll need to go the cinema or get a projector.

      HD TV is broadcast at 16:9 resolutions which would take up the entire screen.

      24" LCD monitors are availble in 16:9 and 16:10 formats. I watch TV shows on my 16:10 LCD and don't mind the small black bars at all.

      • harthagan on 11/06/2009 - 17:13

        Mate i dont think you understand what I am saying. these were not regular black bars you see on a LCD monitor these bars were 1/3 of the entire screen and it made the picture look really really small! I am thinking that the resolution is actually 1360x786 instead of 1920X1080

  • leoleon on 11/06/2009 - 16:13

    I got one as well, it seems really sharp though VGA and i am able to get 1920x1080 resolution, however though the DVI to HDMI cable I can only get the screen to fill out to the edges at 1360x786 because at 1920x1080 it takes up only 2/3 of the screen.

    As well windows says that its native resolution is 1360x786, so i am still wondering if its true 1920x1080 resolution. Well I've got 28 days to take it back, but so far its seems to be ok to work from (might just be my graphics card. I will say its not as sharp with images as my acer x223w 22' monitor (wouldn't recommend for very fine detail photo editing work) but seems to do a ok job. Unless if Aldi come out with something better and cheaper by the end of the month, I'll most likely end up keeping it.

  • carlscott1982 on 11/06/2009 - 20:52

    Great price as a TV for someone who doesn't care at all about quality and just wants a decent sized, sharp looking DTV. Most people's parents perhaps?

  • wisc on 14/06/2009 - 16:30

    They sold out by the end of the weekend, none of the stores north of melbourne had some in stock, we rang up from one of the stores to get the dimensions of the hole for the TV, no answer at home, got back home, told the olds about it about to go back, rang to check stock, none left… also rang all the other places none left either.

  • PaulMac on 16/06/2009 - 01:28
    +1

    The 80 cm Rank arrived home tonight. The good the bad the ugly

    As a stand alone HDTV in a fringe area (we are a fair distance from a Digital transmitter tower) the Rank Arena is very good for the money. Good tuner sensitivity in the Rank Arena. The speakers in the Rank Arena are OK. Not High Definition sound for sure. But most tvs are the same or worse. One reason for using a hifi amp and speakers and home theatre setups. the lofi sound of mmost tvs.

    As a computer monitor with pc vga and audio inputs, its very good, especially as I use my mac as a media storage device. Plays quicktime and virtual dvds very well. Will try the Mac via the hdmi input eventually. Dont see the need really.

    Playing the Standard definition pvr hard drive recorder through the Rank is very good via the S video.

    This is about my fourth edit at this point because there is an issue for me. When playing a connected DVD player or other connected device, using the audio out RCA jacks on the Rank Arena to send the audio to my beloved Harman Kardon amplifier, no problem. However, when watching digital tv from the Rank Arena, there is no audio signal at the output jacks. My amp is pre digital and I aint changing it for noone. Not even KmartTargetchinesegovernmentwhoever.

    It wouldnt be a problem if I had a digital amplifier that could take the digital audio signal present at the Rank Arean's coax out jack. That aint going to happen. I spend a lot of time listening to ABC digital radio. The Rank Arena has a dsp chip, which gives it several selectable sound settings - movie, music, sport (yuk), TopGear - automatically mutes Jeremy Clarkson (not really) (sadly) , Switchable virtual surround sound (I prefer SRS to dolby surround any day.) And auto volume level. No mmore suddenly blaring ads. But it will only pass through analogue audio. Even though its inbuilt speakers run off of an analogue signal generated somewhere in the bowels of the TV. How hard would it have been to include a jack, even a headphone jack, that would allow an old croak like me to feed a stereo analogue sound signal from the digital tv tuner to my old but inseparable amplifier. Take a look at the amps on the market that can use the digital audio signal. Most are rubbish for the money. And they chew through more juice than a fridge. So TargetKmartchinesegovernmentwhoever, come up with an external DAC (digital to analogue) audio converter box for less than $50 that will take the digital audio signal from the Rank Arena's coax audio out so I can listen to ABC dig radio and digital TV through my analogue amp. Make the thing backward compatible will ya? Ill probably have to go to Jaycar and get a kit and make one myself. I aint dicing my amplifier.

    Other than that I think its a brilliant TV for the money and the best computer monitor I have ever owned. Biggest for sure. It automatically adjusted for the Mac's vga output (My mac has a dvi output with a vga adaptor output - will be getting a dvi to hdmi adaptor eventually, but it works fine as it is)

    Summary: Brilliant buy. Digital TV tuner audio output not backward compatible with pre digital audio amplifers. (you know, the ones they made back when they made decent hifi amps. Or if you are into audiophile gear, and thats generally as analogue as possible, you should be able to plug your Rank Arena into your amp and hear the digital TV audio through it. without having to go out and buy a crap digital amp. IMO. I am quite happy to argue about this.) this issue with the digital TV tuner is a new one as my digital tv pvr provides an analogue audio signal. It was a shock horror experience to find the Rank Arena doesnt provide this. It would not be the only one.

    Summary:
    Bargain TV though. I guess they spent money on important areas like tuner sensitivity. No picture break up yet and I am in a fringe area for digital TV reception. A Mac happy TV. Make the next model backward compatible with non digital amps please. Or market an audio coax to rca convertor box as an option. Just for us old foggies. Sine waves beats step ladders anyday of the week in audio.

  • daytrader on 02/01/2010 - 20:22

    Can anyone tell me how to remove the base on the Rank Arena so I can wall mount it.

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